Friday, June 06, 2008

It's only been three days since Sen. Barack Obama historically won the Democratic nomination for president of the United States. But the Republican venom against the candidate and his wife Michelle is starting to spew. The viciousness is enough to make you sick, and it's a clear indication that the Obama team, if it doesn't respond effectively, could end up on the ropes for the next five months trying to defend itself from the same sort of reprehensible SwiftBoating that John Kerry faced four years ago.

The Republicans are great at framing issues and labelling candidates. And the new buzzword for Obama is radical. Right-wing radio host Sean Hannity has even re-named his show the "Stop Radical Obama express." On his program Thursday he literally said "radical" about every fourth word. Radical, radical, radical. Get ready, Democrats. We're gonna hear that word more in the next five months than we've heard in a lifetime.

Listening to Hannity's program makes you wonder if he and his kool-aid-drunken listeners are not part of some twisted, brainwashed cult. They greet each other with "you're a great American" and depart with "God bless you." The level of ignorance that flows freely on this program is astounding. Hannity's mission is clearly to poison anyone who comes within earshot of him with lies and deception about the Obamas. Here's a few of his shameless rants from Thursday:

"I am telling you, Barack Obama will move this country in a direction that is so radical that it will shock your senses."

"He (Obama) has views that would probably shock the average American."

"He's a Radical left winger, to the left of George McGovern."

And on 1960's terrorist William Ayers, embattled Chicago developer Tony Rezko and the Reverends Jeremiah Wright and Michael Pfleger: Obama is "a phony. A friend of all these people, and who will associate with anyone who can help him politically."

Throughout his program Hannity hammered home the term "radical associations" to describe these controversial relationships. It's abundantly clear that Hannity's goal for the next five months is to scare the hell out of his regular audience, and anyone else who might be listening for that matter.

Make no mistake: the constant regurgitation of the word "radical" is meant to conjure up all sorts of fear, anger and racial prejudice. Think "radical Muslim." Think "angry black man." Think Willie Horton. This sort of pandering to the racist dumbasses of America is beyond despicable, but it's what the GOP does best. It's pure propaganda. And like all good propaganda, if you say it enough it sticks.

The demonizing of Obama was also evident on the Mark Levin radio program Thursday, where the nominee was accused of just about everything short of eating babies. Here's a snippet of Levin's lies and deception: "Barack Obama has been hostile to Jews and to the state of Israel for years." Oh really Mark? Perhaps you'd like to back that up with some actual facts? Ooops, sorry. There's nothing about facts in the Rovian playbook.

The Republican Party has begun piling on as well. The RNC didn’t waste any time after the announcement of Rezko's corruption and fraud convictions this week to launch its new "Obama's Money Man" attack ad linking Obama to the real-estate developer. Expect the RNC and its surrogates to bang out more videos these next five months than MTV.

The attacks are not just limited to candidate Obama. Just like the vitriol spewed towards Theresa Heinz Kerry in 2004, Michelle Obama is now reaping the wrath of these vicious thugs. The new rumor circulating is that a videotape exists of Michelle and the Nation of Islam's Minister Louis Farrakhan in which she allegedly says "Fuck Whitey" at one point. This despicable rumor was spread all day and night Thursday by the right-wing talking heads. "If this is true, he's done" they all giddily gushed over and over and over again. It's absolutely disgusting, and worse, it's all too familiar. Welcome to the Republican coffee table, where the Rovian playbook is proudly on display.

And over on Sirius Radio's Patriot channel (I love this, btw. The right-wing station is called "Patriot" while the left wing's is called...well..."Left." Talk about framing), conservative host Andrew Wilkow could not believe how angry, stern and scary Michelle Obama looked in a NY Times photo earlier in the week. Mark my words, they are going to crucify this woman between now and November 4th.

To say the campaign is going to get ugly is a gross understatement.

HELP ELECT BARACK OBAMA PRESIDENT: Now that Sen. Obama is our nominee, I strongly urge and every Democrat to rally around him and support him in any way possible. He will need volunteers, and he will need money. Click here to donate to his historic campaign so that we can begin to change America. And please email this contribution link to everyone in your address book. No more Bush. No McCain. Democrats, it's time to unite the party as we all know we can and will. Let's pull together and help ensure Barack Obama's victory in November.

36 comments:

With the jobless rate going up, the economy growing at a snail's pace, no end in sight in Iraq, an unstable Afghanistan and Pakistan, a resurgent Russia, a voracious China, health care unaffordable to tens of millions of Americans, Obama's huge fundraising advantage, Obama's charisma next to McCain's moribund manner, the historical trends indicating a huge Democratic sweep of local, state, and federal elections.....

Obama will undoubtedly be the next President of the United States. McCain has the poor fortune of being the fool who stands at the beach yelling "Halt" as a tidal wave rapidly advances toward the shore...

What is the big surprise. FOX has been hammering at Obama for months now. And, we all knew what the Repugs are capable of and what they would do. This is the inevitable now happening. The Kerry Swiftboat ad was bound to be repeated. The only difference is Kerry really was a hero and the Swiftboat ad lied. They have actual clips of offensive and frightening remarks to harm Obama that are not lies. Wright and Michelle have made damaging comments. We, the Democratic Party have brought this on ourselves. Commentators on this blog have screamed for months that Obama can't win.

Ostroy - thanks for the update from across the trenches in Hannityville. Personally, I can't stomach listening to that crap but we do need to know what's going on over there so I extend my gratitude for taking one for the team. We knew this race would be ugly and gross no matter who our candidate was. Such is the way of the GOP.

The Sirius Radio "Patriot vs Left" problem is a sad truth for much of "our" media outlets but thankfully Obama has met this framing challenge consistently and pretty much head-on. He's not ceding the term "patriot" to the GOP and has been doing a solid job of redefining what it REALLY means to be a patriot. I'm sure we can expect much more of the same.

We do have a long torturous road ahead of us, but McCain is a weak candidate. So weak that the GOP doesn't even have him on their website. It's all Obama all the time over there at gop.com. I'll be surprised if they put out ANY ads trying to promote McCain instead of using all their resources to trash Obama. Maybe the GOP will ask McCain to pull a Casey and they'll run someone else - who knows?

It'll be interesting to see if McCain and Obama do the "town hall" debates or a combination. I look forward to those.

After months of constant hammering the Obama talking-point du jour, radio hosts' and Fox news pundits' listening audiences were brainwashed some time ago so those people are already soured on Obama and probably won't change. However, with the economy in the tank and Bush refusing to end the Iraq occupation voters have other priorities so the rovian tactics may be less effective this time. However that is not to say people are immune to their poison.

Normally voters do not tune into the elections until after Labour Day, but considering this is an historical election Obama is fairly well-known to the general public. Yet there are a lot of voters who are not familiar with him and many others who know him only thru the lens of his opponent, Hillary Clinton. Thus for him to cut through that and the republican slime-machine Obama has a short 5-month time frame in which to do so.

Therefore those of you who can donate money and/or volunteer some of your precious time Iam sure would be greatly appreciated. I know I will. There is too much at stake not to.

I only wish the "radical" label actually applied to Mr. Obama. This nation faces few problems indeed concerning which a truly radical break with the past (at the very least the last 8 years) would not be the most appropriate course.

As for "Listening to Hannity's program makes you wonder if he and his kool-aid-drunken listeners are not part of some twisted, brainwashed cult," how can you even doubt it! Brainwashing is at the heart of everything Hannity says and does. It's a vile, organized, and extremely successful effort to re-define reality for those to foolish and suggestible to think for themselves or do their own research, and the proof is in the pudding- In survey after survey the consumers of Fox noise show a far greater degree of ignorance of the realities of the world we live in than do those who haven't drunk the kool-aid, instead clinging only to the lies served up by the likes of Hannity. I've long since abandoned the notion that he and his ilk are merely mistaken in their beliefs; they espouse too many things that are demonstrably false. It is my considered opinion that these people are truly evil, and spew their obvious falsehoods solely for the purpose of monetary gain, never mind its' effect on the Nation. The only way to combat them is with an unswerving embrace of the truth.No doubt, Obama is in for a 5 month shit storm, but fortunately, McCain has a cemetery's worth of skeletons in his own closet, in the form of his voting record. Every opportunity must be taken to reveal this pseudo "maverick" for what he really is on nearly every important issue- a lunatic fringe right winger every bit as disastrous for the nation as the current occupant at 1600 Pennsylvania Avenue.

bklyn can't "stomach their crap" because of course Fox and its point of view is reprehnsible to him because he feels differently. That's exactly the reason why some of us who were for Obama are disgusted by his willingness to "stomach" the vile ideas of Trinity and Wright for twenty years.

when we attack wingnuts on their character, we progressives are labeled haters and incapable of arguing on facts and policies...when they run smear campaigns full of lies and inuendo, its not hate, and its not their inability to argue policy...its just the truth...i want hannity, levin and the rest of the cabal to please explain...how are things gonna get any worse?

and they really dont wanna go after michelle...they really dont...jeez, they left hillary alone till after the election

not only do they have fear of the black man...they have fear of the strong black woman

I agree one hundred percent with CARO and I'm so glad she spoke up so clearly. Most of the Democratic Party hasn't "gotten it" yet. Obama is not "the candidate" for some of us.

I would also like to point out that the "material" FOX and other Obama opponents have against him is not composed of lies. There are tapes of the BLT doctrine which he suuports and tapes of his wife reflecting the same hateful ideas. We do not want another "divider" in the White House. McCain will at least work for the good of our country as a whole.

I find Bob Herbert's NY TIMES column today offensive. Now, that Obama is the candidate, Herbert is for the first time, talking about mysogyny and how women have suffered discrimination in our country. He admits it exits. Too little too late in an attempt to placate the women who are outraged. He contributed to the sexism during the entire primary race as did black men, including Obama. "The Bro before the Ho." Rap music is full of sexism, don't we all know. Why would we suddenly support a candidate who seems to be a sexist himself and belongs to a church that hates white people?

Obama fans need to take a long hard look in the fucking mirrow.the same tactics the republicans are using Obama people used against Hillary.You reap what you sew.It wasn't the right wing media that made hillary and bill clinton into racist.It was obama fans.Now your going to set here and complain,the republicans are going to get dirty.WOOOOOOOW.The swift-boating of Obama won't be built on lies,but actual truth,with photo's and film too boot.Swift-boating is supposed to be lies.Here it will be the truth. What hillary should do after today is let the Obama camp have the campaign and don't do anything in support of Obama,they want her out of the way,she should get out and don't do a fucking thing to help him now

The loss the country has suffered by not choosing Hillary as the next president was again evident in her speech today.

And it was amazing to hear the male TV pundits continue to "diss" her about being late for the speech, "has she changed her mind", "is she at home crying and they have to pull her together." "she has to have her drama" etc. etc. etc. But after her brilliant and moving speech in support of Obama, to a man they can't say enough good things about her. And, do you believe, they're all saying WHAT SHE HAS TO DO TO GET OBAMA ELECTED> NOT what HE has to do -- what she has to do to get her "working women" to vote for him. Male chauvinism was alive and active today and Hillary will be the "good wife."

And exactly what is a "working woman" Almost all the women in the country are "working women" - some as professors,senators, doctors, teachers, fireimen, saleswomen etc. What do they mean "working women"?

Hillary said she'd continue to work for "Universal healthcare." Excatly how is she going to do that -- Obama's plan is not "universal" healthcare. DOes that mean she's about to be v.p. and twist his arm; or, she'll fight him in the Senate? What can she do now to foster care for all of us?

The National Review of all places has debunked the Michelle Obama tape as being almost identical to one in a 2006 political novel. That's where the Republicans got the idea from. In other words, "Stop digging, there is no pony under the horse manure." (Scroll down to Obama.)

On Larry King Ed Shultz who was one of Hillary's worst offenders, praised her tonight and said she'll do all she can and must do to get Obama elected. Then he said NOW Obama has to explain where he stands on issues.

Another pundit, I think Beckel said Hillary has to travel around the country WITH Obama to get "her people" to vote for him. Obama sure seems to need a lot of "mothering" help to win.

Then, another pundit said Hillary was crazy to say there was still a "glass ceiling" for women and the presidency. She would have won if she hand't run such a bad campaign.

Just to remind everybody that The GOP MILITARY INDUSTRIAL COMPLEX including All Federal State & Local Police will still be Under GOP control regardless if Obama wins. Just like what happened when we had to get rid of the 2 Kennedy brothers (the 3rd finally goin to die of cancer) and the 2 leftist negro's (the 3rd will be Obama) when Secret Service will be mysteriously absent. Yes We the GOP will make it 3for3 stolen elections for 2008. White Christian America will not EVER allow a Unqualified Leftist Negro Homo or Feminist Lezbo make it to the White House. Remember how you felt when We Destroyed Kerry? Its goin to happen again. G.W. will be all giving you The Presidential One Finger Salute Nov 5th.

Thus far, it looks like what Obama has "overcome" is the Rezko (aka Combine) conection... With any luck, Obama will win before Patrick Fitzgerald sends his political supporters their subpoenas. The only problem being Obama will probably get one too.

I am stunned and confused. In the NY TIMES today Frank Rich and Maureen Dowd continue to bash Hillary, even though she's dropped out. They did so during the primary and continue. They are both sexists -- Before, I thought it was perhaps political, but that they continue proves otherwise. What is wrong with the Democrats? Maureen's mysogyny became apparent first when she did a terrible piece on Dean's wife. Dowd hates women who are successful. And as for Rich -- I don't know what his problem is. And aside from his Hillary rant, he said that she's out of touch and Obama will foster change.

Will somebody, PLEASE< tell me what Obama's PLANS for change are? I'm a Dem and would like to vote for him but I honestly don't know what his big change constitutes? Help.

My best suggestion to you if you want to know what Obama's vision is for the country: go to barackobama.com and click on the "issues" tab or read his books.

9:13,

Sean Hannity is a hack in the back pocket of the RNC who routinely spews false and inflammatory commentary and he should rightfully be called on his bullshit. Marginalize HIM and his message is diminished as well.

It's what the GOP has done for years and it's time for the Dems to fight fire with fire.

You're right Michael, but we don't have tapes of McCain's "uncle', mentor, preacher, friend, pastor for twenty-one years, screaming "God damn American" and proclaiming hate for whites. We don't have proof of McCain's association with terrorists, and crooks; and, we just can't prove McCain has only a few years expdrience in governing.

Not only that, McCain has never had a Muslim stepfather whom we know nothing about.

In about a 5-minute search of Google you should be able to find enough sleaze and corruption surrounding John McCain to suit you. If you don't already know about it, you haven't been listening. Or you are a closet Republican trolling at Ostroy's Place.

If you're right for a change, Michael, then you will hsve your fight of "fire with fire." I'll just wait until I see those McCain tapes of which you speak on TV, pushing Trinity Church off the air. Can't wait. Not that I'm pleased to be in the Democratic Party that is so full of name-callers like you, but at least I haven't jad to listen to you in church for twenty years, so I'll remain a Dem.

I think you're strange but I don't hate/fear you. You're wrong with the xenophobe accusation - but then - what else is new?